Wetland Plan (English)

Natuurpunt strives to restore 1,500 hectares of wetlands in Flanders by 2027 with its Wetland Plan. Wetlands have been established as natural and powerful climate buffers, offering protection against floods and droughts. To help mitigating these effects, Natuurpunt has selected 18 of its nature reserves where different types of wetlands will be restored, along with the resilience of our environment. Funding is obtained through European, Flemish and private channels.

Investing in wetlands and reinstating the natural course of streams and rivers is an effective solution to protect houses and buildings against floods, and to replenish our (ground)water reserves as insurance against droughts. The need for more adequate water management has become painfully clear in the aftermath of (agricultural) droughts and major flooding disasters in the Dender region, Maas basin, Westhoek and IJzer valley - amongst others. By restoring wetlands, both in upstream areas of river courses and in valleys, Natuurpunt wants to step forward and contribute to a solution. This "nature-based" solution starts from the natural qualities of an ecosystem that are fostered to counter environmental threats. In this, wetland restoration is not only a pillar of climate mitigation and adaptation, but its benefits also exceed those of solely engineering interventions on multiple fronts: they harbour biodiversity, regulate temperature and humidity, and boost our physical and mental health. 

In April 2024, Natuurpunt managed 1/5th of existing Flemish wetlands that cover about 5% of the Flemish region in total. Fortunately, there is considerable potential to restore wetlands. No less than 147,000 hectares of wetlands can be restored in Flanders, of which 49,000 hectares are already designated as nature areas. After success stories of nature restoration in i.a. the Blankaart and the Valley of the Zwarte Beek, with the Wetland Plan, Natuurpunt takes up the responsibility to restore almost 1,500 hectares of wetlands. 

Rewet to keep it dry

"We have selected 18 nature reserves throughout Flanders where different types of wetland habitats will be restored. Within these reserves, currently, 1,350 hectares have already been assigned as priority areas for wetland restoration," explains Lander Wantens, project coordinator of the Wetland Plan. "These include peatlands, which also store a lot of carbon dioxide, as well as wet grasslands, forested swamps and fens. Three project sites are located in the Dender valley, which is only just recovering from a flooding event. There, we can restore 161 hectares. The Mark valley, crossing the towns of Geraardsbergen and Galmaarden, is one of these sites. The river Mark flows into the Dender river. Because the Mark valley is so deeply eroded, water in the catchment area is drained more quickly towards the Dender. So, in order to prevent flooding in Geraardsbergen downstream, it is crucial to slow down the water flow higher up in the Mark valley. This will be done by giving the Mark more space to flood the nature reserve, where water can infiltrate instead of flowing towards the Dender," says Wantens. 

International recognition

In 2023 Natuurpunt entered a partnership with Wetlands International, an organisation that is committed to the conservation and restoration of wetlands and other aquatic systems worldwide. This is a recognition of Natuurpunt's efforts for wetlands in Flanders and of its knowledge and expertise. The international network of Wetlands International also offers opportunities to strengthen the case of wetland ecosystems in Flanders and beyond. Natuurpunt's experience with wetland restoration in a highly urbanised region such as Flanders is unique, and an engaging added value to the network of Wetlands International.

Nature restoration costs money, but yields benefits for biodiversity, for mitigating climate change, and for our health and safety in multiples. The cost of wetland restoration in this project is estimated at 50 million euros, which are provided by, amongst others, Europe via Interreg Blue Transition and LIFE Wetlands4Cities and by Flanders via the Blue Deal. Natuurpunt invests 4.5 million euros and can count on the support of companies such as Cummins and Google.

Frédéric Descamps, Data Center Lead for Google in Belgium: "By 2030, we want to return more water to nature than we use within our company for our data centres and offices. In Belgium, we are collaborating with Natagora and Natuurpunt to protect the ecosystem around the Scheldt and to help restore the Dender. For example, the Meirdam project near Dendermonde (Sint-Onolfspolder) will focus on the restoration of wetlands by purchasing key plots and installing weirs and sluices to retain water for a longer period.

Project coordinator

Lander Wantens, [email protected]

Project officer

Evelien Deboelpaep, [email protected]